Coin bank



June 3, 1947. E. D. PIRRUNG 2,421,577

COIN BANK Filed May 11, 1945 ERNEST D. PIRRUNG coins and whichis Patented June 3, 194? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,421,557 c oN BANK Ernest D; Pitrruli'gf, Struthers, ho noii'otidn May ii, 1945, serial No. 593,258' z oidims. (C1. 23a- 4) rbis invention relates to coin savings banks and more particularlyto small banks of this nature which' are operative to prevent unauthorized removal V01 any ofthe coins until a predetermine'd number of coins have ber'idpositd in the bank frb e primaryobjc'ot of tue' invention is ine provision of an improved coin bank of one general character sbjeciedwnien is obeiative to receive a' p'lurality of different kinds of 4 provided with I'nans to pre# vent the unauthorized removal of any of the eoinsnnoii d predetermined composite total amount of eil the' coins Yis position-ed in tbebdnk. Tnusni is possible, inx accordance vviibine inventionto construct coin banks in which any pre# determined totali amount of money', within reason'- abie limits, musi be dep'ositedbeiore any of ine coins previously deposited can be readily' enio'ved from the article.

lA further object of the invention isthe provision` of va coin bankL having' the' characteristics enumerated ab'ov vvh'i'ch i'i exceedingly simple in design, very economical' to' construct, btwhich nevertheless is durable, serviceable, as well asinteresting and pleasingin appearance.

Another and more specific object of the invention is tbe provision of d coin bank having a muitipli'city o'f coin receiving vvells and a common reieasabie cover therefor whereby a predeterniined composite nuinber ofcoins :Sonst be positioned inthe bank before the cover may be rein'oved. Further', one banisi is so constructed that it consists of but tivo principal partsa body member containing the weils' and' a cornrnon cover memberaifresaid-both of which may be econbnicallyfored `by the molding of glass, plastic, or otnersuitebie Indiener. The elements of the locking and' release mechanisms are also sirnpleirti design,easilyproduced and assembled in and on vth'entvvoprinf :i'pal parts of the assembly.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideren# dif. die, idonee denied dedication and the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a representative embodiment, or the invrition.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isA a plan view of a coin bank constructed according to the principles of the invention; l l

Figures 2* and 3 are side and end elevations, respectively, of the coin bank of Figure 1-;'

Figuie 4 is a transverse sectional View taken along thelin'e I-V-IV of Figure 2? 2 FFigii're- 5 is a fragmentary horizdnltal section taken alhg the linev V- V of Figure 2; and

Fbigiire 6 is a longitudinal section through the upper half ofthe bank, th v'ievv being taken along the linelvI-VI of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral en' designates the' principal body inejinbcr ci one assembly and, as shown, this body member coinprises essentially a block f I'riat'efriall having three spaced verticallydispose'd coinv receiving wells therein, designated by reference numerals Il, I Z and I3, respectively. Member f' is preferably molded of glass, clear plastic, or other suitable transparent material so that the coins" received in the Wells can be viewed from oitsideV the as sexn# bly; The vvells -'l3 are of different diante# ters to' receive' different ooin'fsf-jfo'r example, one ivell ff being" dimension'ed tol receive pennies, the vv'eu l2 to receive nier-eis, and one weil l?.` to receive dimes. The uppe'r side edges oi the body member mi die rabbeied as snownae Mi inV FigT ure 4 and one end Wall is projectedu'pwardly and formed with' an' overbanging 1in i5', the purbose' of which vviii become evident below. rnc opposite nd wall of the body member lio is formed adjacent' its top end' With an outwardly tenl'irig lug I- CFigures'Z and To coinbieoe tbe housing I provide a' cover member l1 consisting of a plate-like b'ody also preferably molded of transparent material as, for example", a suitable clear plastic. Cover H has downwardly extending Side lips I8 to t Within ine rabbets |4 (Figure 4) and a transversely extending rabbet I!)` to receivev the lip I of the body member IU. In this'majnner the cover inember I'l is held against lateral movement, against longitndi'nal movement' in one direction,l While one' of its" ends' is held against verticalh movement by the lip I5. Vertical movement of the opposite end' of the' cover I1 is prevented byan integral lip 20' (Figure 6) whichengages underneath the' lug I 6 of the body member l0. The surfaces and in'terlocks thus far described pre'- vent movement of the cover I1 in any direction other than longitudinal sliding mo-vement ofthe cover in a direction awayy from the lip l5. Means n`ov`v to be described is employed to releasably prevent such sliding movement.l

Longitudinal recesses 2l are formed at dia.- met'rically Opposed points in the sidewall of each of the Wells I't-I3 and slidably mountedin `suclji recessesl are the rods `22 and 23, the formel-being longer thanj they latter and `projecting up above the topA ends of the latter. It s lrouldbeobserved that a pair of such rods 22, 23 is providedv for each of the wells and secured to the lower end of each such pair is a coin support having a tilted upper section 24 and a lower horizontal section 25. Interposed between the bottom of each well and the support section 25 housed therein is a coil spring 26 having sufficient strength to hold the rods 22 and 23 in upper position even though a full column of coins is resting on the support 24, 25. The upper ends of the rods 22 are normally received in detents 27 formed in the under surfaces of the cover l1. As illustrated in the drawing, the detents 2l are arranged in sawtooth fashion so that upon the sliding application of the cover to the body member the rods 22 will be automatically depressed to allow the sliding movement to take place. As the cover Il approaches its fully closed position, however, the upper ends of the rods 22 snap up into the deepest parts of the detents 21 and adjacent the vertical walls of these detents whereupon the cover' l1 is locked against outward sliding movement until the rods 22 are depressed downwardly. Rods 22 are moved downwardly when the columns of coins associated therewith contain a predetermined number of coins. By referring to Figure 1, it will be evident that the rods 22 and 23 are aligned in a longitudinal plane passing through the axes of the wells II-I3. Further, since these rods are slidably received in recesses in the side walls of the wells the co-ins may be slipped into the wells transversely. While it is contemplated that the locking assemblies comprised of the rods 22, 23 and the coin supports 24 will be rigid enough to prevent flexing of the rods 22 when the wells contain but a few coins, the strength of the locking arrangement may be improved over that illustrated by interchanging the position of the rods 22 and 23 in each well so that flexing of the longer or locking rods is impossible. Of course, the positions of the detents 21 and the cover Il would then be suitably relocated as will be understood.

Laterally aligned with each of the wells ll-I3 is a groove 28 formed in the top surface of the body member I to one side of the well. The grooves 28 are of such width and depth as to closely receive the particular coin intended to be inserted therein, it being understood that the coin will be placed in a horizontal position and moved sideways when being inserted in the groove 28. The lower edge of the adjacent lip I8 of the cover member Il is notched to provide passages for such progression of the coins and, as illustrated in Figure 4, the outer edges of the openings are rounded or eased to facilitate entry of the coins.

Associated with each of the wells II-IS is a transversely extending leaf spring 29 having a center portion riveted or otherwise securely fastened to the cover member i1, a curved end portion 30 extending into the top of the well, and an opposite curved end portion 3l positioned just inwardly of the adjacent lip I8 of the cover member I1.

In using the coin bank above described the coins are inserted in the slots in .successiony the succeeding coins pushing the coins ahead into the wells down which they fall to form stacks or columns resting o-n the supports 24.' The parts are so dimensioned that normally but a single coin (as the coin `32 in Figure 4) lies in each of the slots and the function 'of the spring detents 3| is` to prevent outward sliding movement of the coins held in the slots. As the columns or stacks build up the tops approach the springs 30 which are somewhat stronger than the springs 26. Now as coins begin to be wedged between the tops of the stacks and the springs 30 the stacks move downwardly against the forces of springs 26 thus lowering or retracting the locking rods 22. When the latter have been moved downwardly sufficient to clear the adjacent vertical walls of the detents 21 the cover member Il may be slid off the body member lll as will be apparent. In practice, the parts are so dimensioned that a predetermined number of coins must be in the stacks or columns before the rods 22 release the cover. It should be observed that a deficiency of coins in any one 'of the Wells will hold the cover locked against removal. By simply cutting the rods 22 and 23 to the proper lengths the bank may be prepared to retain any predetermined total sum of money before releas ing the cover member l1.

It should now be apparent that I have provided a coin bank possessing such embodiments as accomplish the objects initially set out. While the invention is particularly concerned with a multiple well arrangement it should be understood that various features are equally applicable to a smaller bank employing but a single well. In any embodirnent the same simplicity and economy of construction and assembly is inherent in that the two principal parts of the assembly may be readily cast or molded and the other operative elements of the assembly mounted on these principal parts before the same are put together. It is contemplated that suitable indicia may be imprinted on the body member l0 and/or on the cover member I1 in association with the coin receiving slo-ts to indicate the proper slot for receiving a particular coin.

The above specically described embodiment of the invention should be considered as illustrative only as obviously many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the apended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A coin bank comprising in combination a body member having a plurality of coin receiving wells therein, a cover member having a plurality of locking detents and adapted to be detachably secured to said body member in locked relation therewith thereby closing olf said wells to prevent unauthorized removal of coins therefrom, a restricted passage associated with each of said wells whereby individual coins may be inserted in succession in said wells, and a locking member in each of said wells having an integral extending portion engaging a respective detent in said cover member thereby preventing removal of said cover member, each of said locking members having means to retract said portion upon the insertion in the well associated therewith of a predetermined number of coins.

2. A coin bank comprising in combination a body member having a coin receiving well therein, a cover member having a locking detent and adapted to be slid into position on said body member thereby closing off said well to prevent unauthorized removal of coins therefrom, said well having a recess extending up along its side wall, a rod in said recess movable from upper to lower positions and operative when in upper position to engage said detent of said cover member to restrain the same against sliding movement, a coin support secured to thelower Vend of said rod and spanning said well, a spring in the lower portion of said well urging sald. support and rod up- REFERENCES CITED wardly, a curved leaf sprlng at the upper end of A said Well against which `coins may Wedge to move The following references are of record in the a stack of coins resting on said support down- 111 0f this Datent Walid against the OICe (.)f Said I'S) meIlOIled 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS spring thereby moving said rod downwardly, and

means providing a passage for the insertion of Nugegz L game .111115119651881 coins sidewa s into the u er ortion of said Weil. 3 au y pp p 688,761 Walsch Dec. 10, 1901 ERNEST D PRRUNG 10 1,206,380 Rupert 1 V. NOV. 28, 1916 

